Not so much ‘Sorted it out’ Floydy as learned to cope…‘Must make sure to copy a piece before submitting it’…
I crunched my way through a heavy frost and sub zero temperatures to have a very satisfying run yesterday.
It’s a good job Wednesday is not a run day, because the rain is relentless and looks like it’s here for the day…
Nice to catch up with the gang and their activities. 
I got back to the gym today instead of yesterday (mum was poorly) and kept myself to just over an hour in case I started coughing my lungs up! Thankfully I didn’t. 
I felt quite proud I got there as it has been pouring down for the last 30+ hours, but I knew I’d just be making excuses if I didn’t venture out because of the weather.
Warming up with a nice cup of ginger tea with the central heating on.
Good morning! Chilly here, but it’s hard to tell in the hospital. It’s always a mystery why they don’t have windows that open.
Just when we though we were at a cure for my daughter, the bottom dropped out and she is back in the hospital again. That’s ok, I will do what I have to do to get her better; she’s worth it and then some. Though I don’t believe in much these days - I do believe in her.
No matter the hospital, the nursing staff is always great when I tell them I am off to run. Although I get looks like I’m an alien dressed in running gear when everyone else is decked out in surgical scrubs, I make my way to the front door where my spirits lift the moment the sun hits my shoulders and legs. I think how I will take my daughter out for some fresh air later. Why is it that we treat people like prisoners in hospitals without thinking about it? My daughter’s bed and wheelchair have wheels for good reason, I think 
. Just try and stop me, medical people…
A hospital run starts and ends around emergency bays, landscaping around fountains and saints, and to the back of the hospital where they otherwise invisibly manage the unforgivable mountain of medical waste and incoming shipments of substandard food. Why aren’t we giving people in schools and hospitals the best food on the planet, I wonder.
Breaking away from the hospital property and the noise of sirens and trucks in reverse, the world opens into a cacophony of an unnatural sort - cars, busses, and horns - of people making their way to the shopping mall and adjacent college. In frenetic pace with jaws clenched in determination, I can’t figure out from my perspective why everyone is in such a hurry. My feet keep moving.
Through unfamiliar streets, jogging in place to wait for traffic signals, I see things I usually miss by car. Crows squawk and dive for bits of food, bored teenagers leave their voices behind with stickers to roadsigns announcing the band of the moment, and the people we depend on most wait patiently at the bus stop. Weirdly out of place in this urban scene, I am invisible. A few more miles pass.
Though it’s the normal days I am craving, stepping out of the norm makes me see the world a little more clearly, running a little faster, and feeling the cold a little more piercingly. What a thing it is to be alive and what strange creatures we are! Five miles pass all too fast.
Back to the war.
Surfermom I’m so sorry to read about your daughter…I suppose they’ve/you’ve tried the medical cannabis oil?
Surfermom, I always miss your brilliant accounts. Runners and walkers seem to see the little things most people don’t have time to dwell on, during their rush to make it through the day…
Best wishes to your daughter…send her hugs from an old Yorkshire bloke…:hug::hug::hug:
This mornings five mile run turned out to be one of the toughest runs this year.
Still jaded from yesterday’s exceptional performance, I opened the door to a pitch black rain soaked morning. With naked legs and sturdy waterproof top I threw myself out into the unknown. No spring in my step this morning as I lumbered along puddle strewn streets passing half a dozen huddled people waiting at the bus stop.
The run alongside the field was interesting, too dark to see the squelchy oozing mud, but distant streetlights reflected off the many puddles that lay in wait for the zig zagging runner and were easily avoided . The rain had all but stopped now and ribbons of light were visible across the eastern sky. As I joined the footpath in the next village I was surprised to find that I came out of the field relatively unscathed, and still had dry feet…
It was very still and eerily warm for this time of year, I left the path and squelched my way through the woods, a brief pause as I waited to cross the main road, lots of traffic at this time in the morning, one look at me, half naked and panting like a thoroughbred racehorse and most drivers would be glad they were going to work.
It was light enough to see where to put my feet as I reached the lane at three miles, it was surprising to see so many dog walkers adorning the muddy path. Plenty of ‘Good mornings’ kept my spirits, and style respectable as I passed by, but a glance at the sky revealed a selection of very angry clouds heading my way.
It was just as I approached an old broken down gatepost (a natural one mile to go marker) that the wind sprung up out of nowhere and the heavens opened. The cold of the rain instantly passed through my waterproof and the path turned to a river, no longer was it possible to avoid the puddles as they expanded across my path before my very eyes.
I stooped forward and battled through the swirling rain and mist, shoes long since overcome by mud and water, almost running on the spot occasionally as the wind beat against my chest. My shorts clung to my thighs as water streamed off my coat, the hood was impossible to keep in place as the wind tugged and tore at it. I was expending far too much energy to maintain any kind of a pace and jogged blindly into the swirling torrent.
With less than half a mile to go I arrived at the railway crossing and with cold numb fingers pulled open the gate and crossed the deserted line, the rain had stopped, the sound of the metal gate clanged shut and I hung on for the last quarter of a mile. I had not intended to battle with the elements to such a degree this morning, and It has taken its toll, but that hot shower was never as appreciated as it was this morning…
Hell of a run that Bob, even that you had the power to carry on amazes me which is a testament to your determination against all odds.
Love reading about your adventures in the cold wet windy wilds mate.
I’m still suffering quite badly with what looks like a terminal bad cough I blame solely on breathing in dust at work. It’s worse when I try to sleep in the morning and that back of the throat tickle starts me off again and I have to spit the stuff out. Horrible.
Three weeks now since I last his the gym, with my neck pain before the cough adding to my frustration. Oddly though I haven’t put on any weight though I’m looking rather ‘flat’ in places where I normally ‘bulge’. But muscle has memory and that will return hopefully!
As I mentioned in the Good Morning thread we’re out tonight for our annual dinner dance with friends and doubly celebrating Mrs. Floyd’s birthday. I don’t even feel like going and I’ll be taking it easy with the fizzy pop. Tomorrow I really want to do some gym work but we’ll see how things go.
Thanks Floydy, coughs are particularly annoying when you’re trying to sleep, Mum used to give me butter, sugar and vinegar all mixed together, it seemed to help but there weren’t so many cough medicines then…
By the time you read this you will have probably enjoyed a great night out, so please wish Mrs Floydy a very happy birthday from me…
We didn’t go out mate as we were both feeling crap last night and we rang the taxi at the last minute even when we dressed and ready. Not so good today either after being awake all night coughing but I’m going to see what a sauna can do. Nothing to lose really.
Thanks for your well wishes for Mrs. Floyd 
Saturday 8/12/18: Upper body; 1hr. 15mins.
(All weights in kilogrammes)
Well that was a surprising outcome for someone who only just physically managed to drag himself out to the car intending to visit the gym for a relaxing sauna! On setting foot in the place I thought “I feel dead to the world but since I’m here now I might as well give something a go” so I grabbed a pair of dumbbells and plonked myself on a bench and began lifting. And it wasn’t half as bad as I expected.
My strength was feeling somewhat depleted and I didn’t really have a proper routine to work from so I made up something on the spot:
Five sets just covering the bare essentials of a workout, nothing too strenuous. Beginning with three sets at an average weight but making sure I work for it by adding a number of reps each time. Then a heavier set, followed by a final very light set to finish each exercise off.
Very basic stuff for my standards and plenty of enforced rest between sets, but 75 minutes of a mediocre comeback nevertheless. And by the way the sauna was a waste of time as the heating was almost non-existent but the shower felt great.
DB bench press:
8x26’s, 10x26’s, 11x26’s
4x32’s
12x20’s
Smith shoulder press:
6x30, 7x30, 8x30
3x40
14x20
Smith flat bench press:
10x40, 12x40, 13x40
3x60
16x30
*Only managed 60kgs on the last set which is absolutely abysmal, despite my muscles kicking back into shape from somewhere. I will improve.
Chest press:
10x50, 12x50, 15x50
4x80
18x40
*Stopped pressing at this point as my neck was getting some twinges again.
Arm curl machine, alt.:
8x25, 10x25, 12x25
6x40
15x20
Pinwheel arm curl, standing, alt.:
6x12.5, 7x12.5, 8x12.5
5x15
10x10
DB curl, seated preacher bench, alt.:
6x14, 7x14, 8x14
5x18
6x12
Left it there and felt pretty satisfied I’d at least made an effort after so long away. it’s good to be back. Legs will be next on the agenda, whenever that is and then back to cardio next weekend providing I’m breathing a little better!
Thanks for reading:cool:
Tachyon, well done on the gym visit. I hope this finds you and your mom on the mend. Ginger tea has positive benefits - outside of wanting to swim in it to keep warm this time of year. :-D.
Ruthio, thanks for the kind thoughts. This came out of left field, but there is nothing to do but give her full and happy days (as is possible), until we can get past this. I am all over the research most of the days trying to find out what my have gone awry.
Floydy, I had no idea you had been feeling poorly for so long. It’s a shame that the celebration you and your wife had planned was a disappointment. Hopefully you can make up for it when you are both feeling better. Well done on your first visit back to the muscle factory! What you call a basic routine would level most of us!
OGF that run is one for the books and written so well that you left me shivering and reaching for a blanket! I know well how good that shower must have felt; a long, scalding hot-shower after a winter surf session might be near the top of decadent treats in life.
With a great blue heron seeking shelter under the roof of the boat house this morning, that’s sign enough that the winter rain is no match for people or birds this afternoon. That means a date with the dreadmill is in my near future. It’s dry, OGF, but as you understand, it sure is boring! I want to run so badly outdoors I could almost run in freezing, wet conditions…
Almost. 
Strange isn’t it Suzie, that three weeks away from the gym and a brief visit suddenly gets me itching to go back immediately - and it’s the middle of Saturday night/Sunday morning! I’ll bide my time and wait until later 
Sounds like you’re getting our weather over there at present also. The cold, the wind, the rain…it certainly puts a downer on any attempt at venturing outdoors. perhaps a nice hot drink and an extra layer of sports clothing and you can brave the elements a little? On the other hand, get your phone loaded up with some classic rock and hit that ‘dreadmill’. At least it’s drier indoors.
For those of us without a smartphone or dreadmill…
Plenty of standing water this morning but clear skies, and running my eight mile road course, it was nice to finish with dry clean shoes… Although with all the rain of the the last week (of which I was a recipient!) the river Don was fairly high…Nice view of Venus though…
PS:-Nice jumper Floydy…
Good work on the 8-miler Bob. Pleased the weather was on your side today for a change. It’s a lovely here to be honest 
(Couldn’t resist that Pink Floyd festive jumper)
Sunday 9/12/18: Catch-up, pt.2; 50mins.
(All weights in kilogrammes)
Still feeling croaky with this irritating dry cough of mine and stiff neck niggles, I was still raring to get back into the gym for a second day’s ‘comeback’ session this afternoon. The off-the-cuff spontaneous routine I hastily assembled yesterday
Was actually quite productive and I awoke late this morning feeling quite well ‘worked’ in the biceps and triceps, with the shock of these arm muscles suddenly being stressed and strained again, however light the session was, staying pretty well pumped and harder than before so it appears to have done the trick.
So with the old adage of “If it ain’t brok, don’t fix it”, I adapted a couple of leg workouts to suit this same method, with another three arm-based exercises beforehand just to seal tight yesterday’s build process. So as per my previous session it was three sets of light baby weights with increasing reps followed by two heavier sets (it was only one yesterday) and a final very light set to finish each set.
DB hammer curls, standing:
6x12, 8x12, 10x12
6x14, 8x14
12x10
*Just a note. ‘Hammer curls’ are like standard bicep curls with a dumbbell but instead of having the palms facing upward, they grip the weight as you do with a hammer and curl up to the shoulder in the same way, hence the name. Rather than work the big ‘belly’ of the inner biceps, these hit the exterior side creating the ‘peak’ to the muscle, which in turn separates both heads of the biceps. (Some purist bodybuilding speak there for you, lol).
E-Z preacher curl, seated:
8x28, 10x28, 12x28
6x43, 8x43
20x18
*The second lift of the 43kg weight set was actually quite a big jump in weight which tested my arms a bit, especially as was required to better the previous set’s repetitions. Hard work but oh boy were those guns looking swollen!
Tricep extensions:
12x40, 15x40, 18x40
8x70, 10x70
25x25
*Noticing the rather high reps of those first three sets I could have gone 10kgs heavier to be honest, but it’s only a trial programme anyway. I made up for the lack of weight by adding a full 30kgs to the following two sets, which taxed my triceps much more suitably.
Seated ham curls:
12x40, 16x40, 20x40
8x60, 10x60
20x30
*My remaining two exercises and it was a return to doing some leg work after almost three weeks. No problems with these at all as I kept the weight pretty low so as not to feel too many painful after effects tomorrow.
Sled leg press:
15x150, 20x150, 25x150
10x200, 15x200
20x100
*This new procedure doesn’t really suit leg exercises to be fair; I was ending up with too many reps as the machine doesn’t go heavy enough to satisfy lower reps in my case, hence the bigger reps. The 200 was the maximum it goes and really I should have used the free weight incline press where I could have gone much heavier. Then again, that wasn’t the goal today; I was there to recapture my lost three weeks of training!
Loved all that, nice little session, however light.
I’ll stay with this format for some different exercises during the week (back, shoulders etc) and return to doing some cardio on Friday.
Thanks for reading
If it’s eight miles for OGF, it must be Sunday! As reliable as a clock, it’s always satisfying that you have had a long and successful outing.
Not playing the girl card today, I put on half contents of my closet and ran the track for five miles. Nearly as dull as the dreadmill, running the soft oval track is most forgiving to the joints, allowing me to keep an eye on my daughter as she walks and jogs. I swear that exercise was critical to bringing her back the first time - helping maintain good sleep patterns, muscle strength and somewhat of a decent appetite.
Floydy, I keep thinking about how I am going to maintain my muscle strength now being more of a homebody for a while. I am debating whether or not to get some free weights or just pushing the yoga. Nice workout today. Pushing machines to their weight limits is not exactly my problem :-D. Great job!
It’s such a shame about your daughter, Suzie. You’re doing everything you can to monitor her though, so it’s all part of the recuperation process I guess. My best wishes to her.
On the exercise side for yourself (and perhaps for your daughter too if she’s strong enough), purchasing some basic light weights is a very good idea. They don’t need to be very heavy - I would say a 2kg-10kg range of dumbells plus a bar with some discs of a similar weight and a bench is all you need to improvise without the use of a gym.
There are so many exercises you can do with just the most fundamental of equipment: presses, curls, lunges, flys, rows, weight ‘punches’, overhead lifts and even deadlifts from the floor. Good luck, and don’t forget to ask for advice as I’ll always help if I can. Couple of vids below
Having enjoyed my first visit to the gym in a month last week I went today and spent a happy couple of hours there today. I’m going to go tomorrow as well, the Fates permitting. It’s funny, but because of my ropey knees I was given a free bus pass until 2020, so I have officially joined the ranks of The Twirlies.
I aim to get my knees back to working order though and slowly but surely the extra muscle is helping. Now that I know it’s not a bone problem, and is just internal inflammation I am increasing the leg exercises very gradually. I checked with my various doctors first though. At least I now know I’m not actually risking physical damage to the joint, and while it’s still painful I’d rather have legs that are painful but strong rather than painful but weak.
Good luck all, whatever your routine is!
This is ridiculous. Twice I have written and have been sidetracked, only to have lost my post for waiting too long.
In a nutshell:
Floydy - awesome suggestions. Thank you.
Tachyon - Keep us posted on the knee work. The only arthritis pain I ever had went away for good once I resumed running after a long hiatus.
OGF - 5.25 miles today in a parka and snow boots. Ok, more like a light running jacket and running shoes, but you know me and my whining about the temps…
Carry on and forgive my inability to forum. :roll:
Good man, Tachyon. You and me both mate with the few weeks of training abstainance. Take it easy with those knees after the lay off, mine are getting twinges already from yesterday 
Suzie - Mainly due to my own write-ups taking longer to post than most of my actual workouts, I now type them out on a Word document first. Then I simply copy the text and paste on here, adding things like bold, italics and the obligatory smileys.
Just an idea
Yer, that’s what I’ve been doing recently Floydy…:-(…Either that or copying it every now and then.
Well done Tachyon, I am amazed at your workload, especially after having similar heart problems as me…
An inspiration is far too tame a word…
A good run Surfermom, especially after your nights sleep was interrupted. You are aware that you will get used to the cold…
I had a superb five mile run this morning, no wind, dry with just a hint of mist in the distance. Only problem is, that it’s taking longer to get light in the mornings and my first mile goes down the side of a field on a small waterlogged path, so some light is appreciated. That means, by the time I’ve done the run, filled out my running journal and perused the forum while finishing my apple (an apple a day thing) had a shower, dried the shower, pressups, shave and breakfast…In that order…it’s almost midday…:shock:…and time for lunch!..
So much nicer in the summer when I can be all done and dusted by 9:00am…
